


Powerless Hakurei Tales 12.9: Interlude

by Carmichael_Micaalus



Series: Powerless Hakurei Tales [16]
Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 09:57:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22468486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmichael_Micaalus/pseuds/Carmichael_Micaalus
Summary: Damage Control!  Mima cleans up ALL THE MESSES, much to the confusion of anyone outside of her family!  While she finds that perhaps the ice fairy's information wasn't to be taken at face value, Reimu helps her sister try to make progress with a long-standing problem!
Series: Powerless Hakurei Tales [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1109082
Comments: 9
Kudos: 17





	Powerless Hakurei Tales 12.9: Interlude

Interlude (During Fairy Wars) 

“Your Highness, _please_ consider the time and the place before making such commentary.”

The arguing came to a halt as Reimu called for order. Glancing at both parties, she waited for the two to settle down before giving a nod to the fallen noblewoman.

“Thank you. If you could continue, please.”

It had been almost three years since the shrine maiden of Aki had begun mediating between Kaguya and Mokou. It had been a slow process; centuries of hate and stubbornness took considerable time and effort to remove, and at times their want to stop the constant fighting seemed to be more of a subconscious thought than a desired goal.

There were times when Reimu wondered if the Hourai Elixir had something to do with the way they would constantly slip back into their bad habits. She was well aware it did not take strange, mysterious alchemical concoctions to make people work at cross purposes with one another, but at the same time, the way the two fell back in tandem struck her as odd. Regardless, as much as the immortal’s antics annoyed the other residents of the shrine, Reimu did her best to focus on the gain. Two steps forward and one step back was better than the reverse.

"Kaguya." Hourai immediately interrupted the lunar princess’ comment that tried to follow Mokou’s side of the argument; the doll's patience was visibly taxed. "Don’t."

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!” The exiled princess protested, her smile giving away her true intentions. The guardian responded with a withering glare; she saw no reason to inform Kaguya of her tells.

“This is exactly what I’m talking about-” Mokou started, setting her hands on the table; the mediator and her guardian held back their sigh as they recognized the fallen noblewoman’s rant. “I don’t know why I bother to-”

“My, you get worked up over the simplest of things,” the princess smiled, happy her taunt had worked through the interruption. “Just _think_ of what your family would say-”

“_Your highness_.” Reimu’s sharp voice brought silence to the table once more. She opened her mouth to continue, only to pause as she glanced at Mokou.

The white-haired immortal stared down, her eyes unfocused. The standard disillusioned anger she wore during each meeting was gone, replaced by a growing horror. She blinked rapidly, trying in vain to keep tears from forming as she covered her mouth.

“...Lady Fujiwara?” Reimu asked cautiously, reaching out towards her; Mokou flinched away, unwilling to meet anyone’s gaze.

“I-” She uttered, looking around wildly. “I have- I have to go. I-”

“Lady Fuji- Miss Mokou!” Reimu got to her feet as the fallen noblewoman jumped up and threw open the door. Mima and Marisa leaned in from the other room as the shrine maiden scampered after her.

“Reimu, I know you want to, but _don’t-_ ” Hourai spoke faster and faster as her charge continued to hurry. “ _You know she bursts into flames, Reimu._”

A hand pressed on her free shoulder; Marisa came into view, jumping on her broom.

“I’ll go after her, don’t worry!”

Her jog stumbled to a halt as she watched her sister fly off in hot pursuit of Mokou. Kaguya and Mima came up behind her, watching the two fade off in the distance.

“...I believe I should be going now.” Kaguya cleared her throat. “I ah… I shall talk to you later, Miss Hakurei.”

“Farewell, your highness.” Reimu whispered, turning back towards the shrine; she could feel Mima’s hand pat her free shoulder as they walked back, leaving the princess to escort herself from the grounds.

“...fucking idiots.” The lich finally breathed as they rounded the back towards the living quarters. Reimu sighed.

“I just-”

“No-no.” She held up a hand. “This… was something else. I think it’s safe to say even Kaguya wasn’t expecting that reaction.”

Letting out another sigh, Reimu nodded.

“Look, since I know you’re not going to listen to me, even though _I’m right…_” Mima rolled her eyes, earning a grin from Hourai, “just go talk to your gods, okay? They’ll make you feel better.”

“Alright; thank you, Auntie.”

They entered the house; Reimu made her way to the kitchen, fetching a pitcher of water along with a glass. Even with Spring entering its last month, the Autumn gods spent most mornings asleep or resting, typically not leaving their room until mid noon. They would be fairly energetic once they were up and about, but morning duties were always handled by their shrine maiden.

Stopping in front of the door, Reimu listened for a moment. She could hear a lighter striking, followed by the bubbling of a pipe.

“Divinties?” She called, knocking softly; she could hear a grunt from within. Giving Hourai a smile and a nod, Reimu opened the door as her guardian returned to her own room. Minoriko hissed weakly at the light, squinting until their shrine maiden entered and closed the door once more.

When the Aki divinites first moved into the shrine, one of the things the rest of the residents learned was the gods did not want their room to simply be dark. ‘Dark’ was not the proper term for what they desired; they wanted their room to be devoid of all light. In order to keep the affronting photons from disturbing their sleep, Mima resorted to enchanting the walls of their room with supernatural darkness.

While no one truly had a problem with the gods having a nice, vantablack room for sleeping, Reimu _did_ learn rather quickly that with her poor night vision, she needed to take shuffling steps when inside.

Once more Shizuha’s lighter flicked on, held high to guide the shrine maiden.

“Hsss… oh, is that water?” Minoriko blinked as she rolled onto her stomach, her legs tangled in the sheets of her futon. “Thank you, dear.”

Her eyes adjusted, Reimu quickly made her way over, setting the water down as she laid between the two. The light soon extinguished, leaving white and blue flickering afterforms in the darkness.

“...is it already noon?” Shizuha asked as she leaned against her; Reimu shook her head.

“Nn… no. They um… it sort of fell apart again… differently this time.”

“Ah. Well, you did what you could.” She whispered; Reimu could feel her place the pipe and lighter in her hands. “You always do. But it’s still a path they themselves have to walk. Sometimes they’ll be willing to take the steps they need… other times they’ll throw themselves on the ground and scream like a couple of toddlers.”

Smoke shot out of her mouth as she tried to hold back a laugh. Minoriko’s hands touched hers before taking the pipe, passing her the glass of water. Reimu took a sip before passing to Shizuha.

“I know… but I am worried about Mokou; this was different from normal.”

“The others will take care of that.” The younger of the two assured her. “You know Mokou only responds well to a couple people when she’s upset. When she calms down, she’ll be willing to talk to Marisa or Hourai. Don’t worry.”

“Mm.” Reimu’s head started to spin as the smoke and lack of sleep hit her. Warmth from her patron deities filled her from within; she could feel herself get caught up in their pace, making her head sink down to the futon. Her nerves calmed as she continued to consider their words, she could feel herself smile as her aunt’s gumblings came back to her.

“Just catch up on your sleep for now, okay?”

The shrine maiden nodded, her eyes already closed.

“Just… for a bit…” she whispered.

While the humans had some trouble seeing in their room, the Aki sister’s divine vision worked just fine; they watched their shrine maiden as her breathing evened out, passing into slumber once more.

“I’d say two, three hours qualifies as ‘a bit’, right?” Minoriko whispered, pushing the pitcher away to prevent accidents. “Maybe four?”

“Mm, definitely just a bit in the cosmic sense.” Shizuha confirmed, laying back down. Moving closer, they joined Reimu in her sleep.

* * *

“Hourai?”

The doll paused in her reading, turning to the rows of communication dolls in the room. The doll with rabbit ears had a glow surrounding it.

“Reisen; how are you?” She slid a bookmark into the grimoire; the doll knew the lunar rabbit was not one to call on a whim.

“We’ve located Mokou; Keine is with her right now, they’re in the outskirts of the Bamboo Forest.”

Hourai held her chin as she thought; having contacted the gods of the mountaintop herself, she knew Aya would be on her way to pick up Cirno. But until that time, the magicians of the shrine would be busy, and Reimu still slumbered with her gods.

“Any orders, or continue observation?”

“...give us about twenty, then try to move her towards the town.”

“Understood; Reisen out.”

Hourai let out a sigh as the glow faded away. The rest of her research would have to wait for another time.

Standing near the doorframe, Hourai watched Aya take the ice fairy away. Waiting until the sliding door closed and the two were gone, she approached the magicians.

“Reisen found her.” She announced. “In the Bamboo Forest of the Lost; she’ll be moving her to near the town in about fifteen.”

“Alright,” Mima sighed, pushing herself up from the table. “I’ll handle this bout of problems, you-” she pointed at her daughter.

“Want me to come with y-”

“I want ya to let me finish.” The lich scowled at her grinning daughter. “_You_ stay here. Once Reimu is done with her divine duties, you need to talk to her. Stop putting it-”

“Aw, Ma-”

“_Stop putting it off!_ You assigned her this task, and she’s finished it! Find out what she’s learned.”

“Arright, arright…” Marisa let out a sigh. “Has she woken up yet?”

“No, she’s still sleeping…” Hourai glanced at the nearby clock, “she should be up in just a couple, though.”

“Urgh. Arright, I’ll make ‘em a quick lunch. Ruukoto?”

“Will This Be Like The Lunch ‘You’ Made For The Ice Fairy?” The maid called from the kitchen, earning another sigh of frustration from the magician.

“...I paid for the ingredients.” She countered quietly, getting up from the table.

“I Suppose That’s Fair.”

“If you’re still feelin’ antsy while you’re waiting for her to come back, then make sure the basement is cleaned.” Mima called after her. “That’s probably how I’m going to be coming back, anyway.”

“What?” Marisa stuck her head out from the kitchen. “Why?”

“‘Cause after I’m done with Mokou, I need to go talk to Flandre. _Some_one has to teach that kid what’s happening, and it might as well be the one that’s not going to die to her tantrums. Permanently, anyway.”

Marisa’s eyes narrowed; she slowly leaned back into the kitchen.

“Fine. But if I find out you died ‘cause you weren’t careful, I’m going to plant flowers down where you’ll reconstitute.”

“Cheeky kid…” Mima winced, “using my allergies against me… I taught you too well.”

“I mean it!”

“Yes, yes…” She smiled to herself as she readied to leave. “Take care, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love ya, ma.” Marisa called to the closing door.

* * *

In the narrow path between the human village and the bamboo forest, Mima paced. She had never been one for waiting, especially on other people. ‘People’ were generally why she tried to enjoy a life of solitude in both her life and the clearer parts of her unlife.

Gritting her teeth, she stomped towards the town once more before tapping her foot impatiently. Turning to stomp back towards the forest, she caught movement at the fringes.

“Apologies for the delay, Magister.” Reisen sighed as she stepped out of the bamboo. Further back, the lich could see Mokou skulking about next to Keine. “It took a little more-” The lunar rabbit turned to look at her charges. “Come on.”

“Why is Mima here?” The immortal mumbled, staying put. While she tried to look as displeased as the lich, her sullen depression did not have quite the same effect as Mima’s unbridled rage. “I thought you said-”

“I only talked to Hourai; I figured it would be-”

“Get _out_ of the forest, Mokou.” Mima ordered. The immortal found herself taking a few steps forward before stopping.

“W-what? You afraid of entering the forest? Don’t want to lose your way?”

Holding her glare on the immortal, the lich’s wings snapped open before refolding back into her cape.

“You know you won’t get anything out of antagonizing her, Mokou.” Keine whispered. “Please don’t-”

“The Bamboo Forest is Tewi’s domain.” Mima interrupted. “I have promised her never to enter, unless one: a life is on the line, and two: I am the _only_ one who can get them to Eientei in time. This is not that case, and _you are not important enough for me to break my word_.”

The guardian of the human town let out a sigh as she gave Mokou another guiding push out onto the path. The lich kept her glare on the immortal for a moment longer before turning to Reisen.

"Thank you, Reisen." She nodded. "Tell Kaguya the next time she leaves the Bamboo Forest, I'm cracking her shin with a bat."

The lunar rabbit snorted, waving a hand to the group as she returned to the forest. Mima watched her fading form before turning to leave.

"Come on, Mokou… Keine, you're welcome to stick around as support if you want, or if you got shit to do, I can handle this alone."

"I think it'd be best if I stayed-"

"... when did you get legs?" The immortal asked quietly. Keine stared at her friend for a moment before turning back to the spectre.

"Yeah, I think I'll stay with Mokou."

Letting out a grunt, Mima waved for the two to follow, leading them along the gap between the town and the forest. She cast her eyes to the sky as she let her other senses take stock of their surroundings; the sun was still high, but had already cleared its apex hours ago.

Her nerves calmed as they continued to walk in silence; it was not long before her spells and intuition told her they were alone. She glanced at Mokou.

“...so what happened?”

The immortal kept her gaze on the ground as they walked.

“...I forgot.” She whispered.

The lich heard the slight tremors in her voice and sighed. She knew she was right for not sending her daughter or Hourai; both were intelligent and perceptive, but they did not have the right experience for the problem at hand.

“What did you forget?”

Mokou took a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes went glossy once more.

“...his voice.”

“Your father’s?”

The three came to a stop; Mokou continued to stare down at the ground, wiping her eyes.

“He was- he was the most important person in my life when I was growing up, and now…! I can’t-!”

Keine pulled her friend close as Mokou’s sobs prevented her from continuing. Digging through her purse, Mima handed the immortal a handkerchief.

“Here.” The lich sighed as Mokou blew her nose. “Losing your past like that is always tragic. The only-”

“You wouldn’t-!”

Mokou paused, staring deep into the lich’s green eyes.

“...you- you _do_ know.” She blew her nose once more, unable to look at the pain mirrored back at her any longer.

“That’s why it’s me that’s here.” The lich whispered. “The others wouldn’t know what to say… and they wouldn’t think to point out that’s not the only thing you’ve lost. It’s simply the first one you’ve noticed.”

“Wh-what?” The immortal was unused to dealing with a diplomatic Mima, expecting snide comments instead of measured statements. Turning back in confusion, Mokou found the lich staring at her, making sure she was paying attention before speaking.

“How many faces are now blurred to you, Mokou?"

Mima's calm question hit Mokou in the gut. Her mind raced as she tried to think of people from her past; fuzzy images and blotted faces returned. 

"How many other important voices are gone?” The lich continued. “How many names?”

“I…” The immortal sank to her knees as she tried to summon a clear image of any of her family members; each one wavered and faded as control over her emotions continued to slip through her fingers.

“That’s enough!” Keine grit her teeth, approaching the lich.

“_That_ is what this war is costing you, Mokou.” Mima pressed on, ignoring the hakutaku. “This war against a person who cannot die. How much longer are you going to do this? Until you can’t remember his _face?_ His _name?_ _Why you even fight?_ "

Keine struck the spectre, sending her reeling with the force of the headbutt. Mima held her throbbing head and fixed a murderous glare on the hakutaku.

“I just-” Mokou gasped, covering her face. “I just- I don’t want this anymore. I never wanted it like this! Not- not like this. Never like this, it never was supposed to be-! I-”

Mima grabbed the defender’s wrist; Keine could feel her body start to lock up, preventing her from moving.

“I just-” Mokou’s voice went quiet, “I just want to die.”

“No,” the lich growled, turning her attention back to the immortal, “you don’t.”

“I want this to just fucking end! I can’t stand-!”

“I imagine you think you do,” the lich grit her teeth, moving past the paralyzed defender, “but that’s not the solution here.”

“I can’t-!”

“Then **answer** me this question Mokou:”

The magic in her voice caused the immortal to look up as Mima kneeled in front of her; the lich looked her dead in the eyes.

“_How many people have you killed? _”

“I…”

“_Tell. Me._”

Mokou could only stare, aghast. “...I don’t know.”

Sitting down properly, Mima took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. She snapped her fingers, cancelling her hold on Keine before pointing at the hakutaku, then the immortal. Realizing there was little she could do to stop the lich, Keine held her crying friend close to her, whispering soothing words as she ran a hand through her hair. Mokou’s crying grew louder while the lich dug through her purse, unhappy with having to fall back on her final tactic.

A blackened metal cube of a box hit the ground in front of the two with a **_thud_**, grabbing their attention.

“Then let me show you…” Mima growled, working on the various bindings that held the box shut. “...what you’re actually asking for.”

Removing the last binding, she opened the box to reveal a smaller box inside, held tight in a glowing latticework. Pulling a pair of thick leather gloves from her purse, Mima carefully removed the second box and worked on the bindings containing it.

“When my daughter and niece went to Old Hell because a renegade god took over the hell raven, I asked my daughter to procure something for me.”

The final clasps popped open.

As the lid creaked open, the surrounding light seemed to dim, almost as if it were being sucked into the box. Floating in the center, held in place by countless wards was a glowing, molten drop, no bigger than a fingernail.

“This… is hellfire.” Mima stated, watching the growing horror in Mokou’s eyes. Keine held her friend back, feeling the primal terror emanating from the tiny speck. “Once this touches something, it will not let go; it will only eat until there’s nothing left to consume. If you’re quick, you might be able to cut off your limb before it engulfs you, but most people find the pain to be too excruciating to even _move_.”

Despite her most fervent of wishes, the immortal found herself unable to look away from the tiny, glowing ball of annihilation. Sweat beaded along her forehead as she shivered uncontrollably.

“You can feel the heat from here, can’t you?”

“Yes…”

“You want to die? Touch it. I promise you,” She held the box closer; Mokou found herself scooting back. “this is a fire than can burn even you, Mokou. An entire_sea_ of this is what’s waiting for you, for when you find your way off of this plane. Until you can say you have atoned for all those you’ve mindlessly killed, this is where you’re going to be spending your time.”

“P-please… put it away!” The immortal tried her hardest to look away from the fire, but the remaining shreds of her self-preservation refused to let her lose track of something so dangerous. "Put it away!"

The lid on the box slammed shut, dispelling the heat and darkness. Mima quickly worked on the bindings as Mokou crumpled. Once more, the hakutaku gave the immortal her strength, holding her close as she cried.

* * *

Despite their usual exhaustion during the season, Spring was an important month for the Aki sisters. A grand harvest was hard to have without planting and field preparation first. Once a week, the two gods would travel the farmlands with their shrine maiden, making sure everything was running smoothly. Reimu and Minoriko would inspect the fields, while Shizuha would talk to the various workers, making sure they had what they needed for the coming year.

While the two gods were always apathetic about leaving the shrine, they cheered up whenever they entered the fields, feeling the life and energy deep within the soil. The god of leaves loved to watch her sister and shrine maiden as they worked, gliding across the freshly tilled land, searching on the harvest god’s intuition.

“Okay, we’re done.” Minoriko nodded as they landed next to the farmers. “For the most part everything seems to be in order.”

“But we noticed something about the area close to the farmhouse…” The shrine maiden drew their attention to the direction of the buildings. “Nothing serious, mind! Just a funny feeling; we’re not sure what it is. The area may simply need more nutrients, or there may be a few wild animals taking home nearby.”

“Mm.” The lead farmer looked out across the fields before giving a nod. “Well, if we know where to keep an eye on, that should help minimize problems.”

“Exactly!” Reimu smiled. “And we shall investigate again the next time we stop by; if it persists, we’ll see if we can find out what’s happening.”

“Sounds good. Well then; divinities,” she and the other farmers bowed, “shrine maiden, thank you for your time and help. We truly appreciate it.”

“We’re happy to help! And thank _you_, as well;” Reimu returned the bow, “all your hard work keeps Gensokyo fed.”

With their good-byes said, the three left the farmlands. Reimu glanced at the clear sky, getting a gauge of the time as the sun neared the horizon.

“Was there anywhere else you’d like to go, divinities?”

“Was Alice coming home for dinner?” Minoriko asked, stifling a yawn. Reimu covered her smile with a sleeve.

“Not tonight; I believe she had work involving Lady Yakumo today.”

“Ah… well, I think there’s enough at home for one more dinner.” The harvest god motioned in the direction of the shrine, taking them away from the town. “Probably end up with a hotpot, but eh… we can go shopping tomorrow.”

“That sounds good!”

Shizuha smiled as a light breeze overtook them, bringing scents from the town’s restaurants. “Will there be enough time for you to help Marisa after dinner?”

“Always.”

“That’s good. Marisa’s been good to us.” The sisters linked hands with their shrine maiden, continuing down the path. “Just like you.”

“Mm, does that mean next time you’ll wake me back up at an appropriate hour?”

Minoriko snorted, looking away from her inquisitive shrine maiden.

“...maybe next season…” she mumbled, hiding her grin with a hand.

* * *

One by one, stars appeared in the deep blue sky as Mima waited next to Mokou and Keine. Glancing at the two, she could see the immortal had settled down considerably, her head still held between her knees.

“I prefer not to have to teach like that…” Mima sighed, earning a glare from the hakutaku. “But it is necessary from time to time.”

There was a noise from the immortal.

“...figured that’d be your primary tool of teaching.” She finally mumbled, lifting her head slightly.

“Yeah, you and everyone _else_ .” The spectre grit her teeth as her face immediately soured. “ ‘_You_ taught Reimu?! But she’s so nice!’ ‘_I_ figured she’d be scarred for life if _you_ ever taught her anything!’ Bunch of jerkholes, every one of ‘em…” Shaking her head, she caught the hint of a weak smile on Mokou’s face. “At any rate, now that you’re ready to listen again, I want you to remember something else: you may have raged like I did when I shed my humanity, but you also stopped a lot earlier, and you _have_ been helping people get to and from Eientei, helping save lives.”

Lifting her head the rest of the way, Mokou listened as Mima continued on.

“You may not be the one giving them their medication, surgeries, or supplies, but they still would have likely died if not for you. When people talk of the afterlife, we tend to concentrate our attention on misconduct while dismissing anything done right, but the truth is, good deeds are also important. There are times where we will trip, we will fall, and we will stop… but that doesn’t invalidate what you have done. The psychopomps _will_ be able to see all you have done with your life when your time comes… whenever it may be. So keep at it.”

Mokou gave a small nod.

“...thank you.”

With her first task nearing completion, Mima dug through her purse, pulling important things to the top for what she would soon need.

“...how much crap do you have in there?” The immortal asked quietly, looking at the small bag which clearly held more than it should. “And why do you carry around hellfire?”

“There are _many things_ in the Purse of Nightmares…” Mima stated imperiously, “and I figured I might have to resort to using it. _Hoping_ I wouldn’t have to, but… old habits die hard, old grudges die harder.”

The two frowned at the lich.

“Wait, the Purse of what?” Keine asked, getting a rare smile of joy from Mima.

“When Marisa was about seven or eight, we were about to head to town for supplies, so I asked her to fetch my bag. She came back and said ‘Master, I return with the Purse of Nightmares…!’ And I was about to sass her back, but then I looked at the bag, thought about what I carried in it on the regular… so I looked back at her and told her ‘you know, you’re not wrong.’ And so the name stuck.”

The immortal smiled weakly. “...‘s hard to imagine Marisa like that.”

“She’s a playful girl at heart… she just has to do things she shouldn’t have to at her age is all.”

Mokou’s eyes remained on the bag as Mima talked; her red eyes made her way to the spectre’s face.

“...would… would that have actually killed me?”

The latch snapped shut on the purse; Mima gave her an appraising look. The immortal could feel her skin crawl as the emerald eyes remained upon her.

“Hard to say.” She finally answered. “When it gets down to it, hellfire is basically a purifier; a cleanser. The ur-cleanser, really. The entire point of Hell is to remove sin from the soul before sending it back for reincarnation, and hellfire is what does most of that.” Sliding her purse over her shoulder, she continued on.

“From what I’ve been able to figure out from Eirin, without getting real technical, that elixir effectively replaced your body with your soul, which is why you’re indestructible. If _you_ were to touch it…”

Mima went silent as she thought before shrugging.

“You’d probably burn until your sin was gone; it’d be a living hell for you in the most absolute, literal sense of the phrase.”

“O-oh.” Mokou nodded to herself, shaken. Mima stood, turning her way again.

“But I don’t want you to think about that. I want you to think about this instead, and I want you to fully consider it before you and the other idiot make an appointment with my niece again:”

Keine helped her friend to her feet, the two had their eyes on the lich as she waited to make sure to have Mokou’s full attention.

“Your fight with Kaguya boils down to the difference of opinion on a person who is no longer here. You say your father was a kind, loving man who wished to make Kaguya happy. Kaguya says he was one of many after a power grab, and didn’t know when to quit.”

Too emotionally drained to comment on her take, Mokou nodded.

“His soul has already moved on, so I can no longer contact him to get the true answer to the problem, so instead, I ask you this: if you are right, do you think your kind, loving father would want his only remaining daughter spending multiple lifetimes to kill the woman he loved? In his name? And if Kaguya was right, then what do you stand to gain from this when you already know her death will not restore your family’s ‘lost honor’?”

Unable to hold her gaze any longer, Mokou stared at the ground.

“I understand the call for revenge, Mokou.” Rage threaded the words of the lich as she moved closer, stress lines spidered across her skin. “I understand far, _far better than anyone else._ And I know how hard it is to let go.”

“...how did you?”

Mima sighed, her appearance reverting to normal.

“I had the luxury of clarity, followed by finding someone. _I_ decided to stop, and soon after, I realized I was still able to enjoy existence without fulfilling my vengeance. I realized it did not ‘cheapen’ me to move on after being wronged. I realized the ends would not justify the means, that killing a thousand more would not somehow make the previous thousand acceptable.”

Looking away, Mima turned to the bamboo forest.

“But like I said, that was a luxury. I _had_ the chance to fulfill my vengeance, but decided to take the high road, as it were. Your situation is different in that regard; yours is forever out of your reach, unless your _target_ allows you to have it. Since I can’t properly advise you on how to handle that, I suggest you talk to Tewi.”

“Why her?”

The lich said nothing, still looking away.

“...I can vouch for Tewi as well, Mokou.” Keine whispered in the ensuing silence. “But it’s not my story to tell.”

Facing the two once more, Mima scowled with glossy eyes. “Remember: have an answer for me before you return. I mean it.”

* * *

The faint outline of the Scarlet Devil Mansion loomed overhead as Mima approached the gates. Barring her path was Hong Meiling, her arms crossed and eyes alert. The lich had to admit she felt her respect for the dragon go up upon seeing the gate guard as such; she knew there were very few people Meiling would be willing to wake herself up for _before_ they reached the gate, only those she knew as major threats to the mansion’s peace.

“Dreadlich.” The guard nodded. “Your presence has not been requested this evening; what is the purpose of your visit?”

“To fix another one of your family’s idiotic errors.” She snapped, drifting to a stop before her. Far from the town, her legs had faded back into a spectral tail.

“You’re going to have to narrow that down for me.”

“A number of hours ago, Cirno told me Flandre doesn’t know humans age. I’m going to rectify that before she finds out at Reimu’s theoretical funeral somewhere down the line.”

She watched the gate guard’s mind race for a moment before terrible realization settled in. Letting out a sigh, she stepped to the side and opened the gate.

“From what I was told, she _was_ taught… it was just, 80, 90… 150 or so years ago is all. While she was still in isolation.” Meiling filled her in, walking beside her. A hand signal sent the fairy maids into action, moving to fill in for the guard’s absence.

“...how does her power work?”

Once more, Meiling went silent as she tried to determine how much to say. Few people outside the mansion understood just how powerful Flandre was, and fewer still knew exactly how she accomplished what she did.

“...through her hands.” She finally hedged. “There is no dodging it.”

“Hm… alright. I have an idea.”

Meiling glanced her way; Mima scowled back.

“_I’m_ doing this because death is simply an inconvenience for me… but if I can avoid it, I’d prefer to. But if you think I’m planning to hurt her, please remember she’s Reimu and Marisa’s friend; I _like_ my family having friends.”

As the front doors opened, the lich could feel the tension spike inside the mansion; some of the fairy maids scattered as others attached to the Watch fell in beside the gate guard. They made their way towards the basement, Mima ignored the looks of the others.

“Contact Patchouli and tell her to be standing by with some alchemical solvent,” she muttered, “standard form.”

Meiling motioned to one of her maids; they peeled off towards the library. A surge of life force caught the lich’s attention as Sakuya popped into existence in front of them.

“Find your master and keep her busy.” Mima ordered, phasing through her. “I don’t need her interference while I’m working.”

Holding a fan of knives in her hand, the chief maid glanced at Meiling; the dragon shook her head. Bowing stiffly, Sakuya disappeared once more.

The rest of the trip down to the basement was in silence, everyone following close behind the lich. The air continued to cool the further down they went; condensed water dripped from various points of the ceiling, echoing throughout the stairwell.

At the bottom of the stairs, an enormous pair of iron doors greeted them, marking the entrance to Flandre's room. Mima could feel the strength of the wards before reaching the landing, all of which pointed inward. The very essence of Fate was intermingled with the magic, helping prevent the occupant from simply destroying the doors and spells at her leisure.

Opening her purse, Mima removed a large canister, setting it on the ground before the door.

"Knock."

Watching as the lich dipped her hands into the canister, Meiling knocked on the door.

"... yes?" An uncertain voice called out from the other side.

"Flandre dear, you… have a guest."

The blonde vampire looked at the door in utter confusion. It was an odd thing to hear, so early in the evening. The fact it was Meiling delivering the message only added to the bizarre situation.

"A- alright…?"

She heard terse murmuring outside as the pressure from the wards slowly dissipated; the twin doors opened silently to reveal Mima, escorted by Meiling and a host of maids.

“-don’t _care_ if it’s not done normally, it’s called ‘common courtesy’, you twat.” The lich could be heard muttering to the guard before smiling at Flandre. It was a professional smile, one she had witnessed Mima wearing whenever Reimu was acting in an official capacity. There was little warmth in it, just an acknowledgement that such a facial expression would likely benefit whatever was being done, as opposed to the face she would prefer to make. Mima turned slightly to the others, keeping her eyes on the vampire. “Leave us.”

Meiling motioned to the maids, staying put.

“Apologies for dropping in unannounced… how are you doing this evening?”

“Little confused, mostly. I don’t see you over at the mansion er, ever.”

“Yes, well…” The spectre’s gaze drifted for a thousand yards. “...I’ve met your sister enough, I’m afraid.”

“I can understand that.” Flandre smirked.

The door clicked shut, bringing back the silent pressure of the wards. Mima held out a shiny hand, flexing her fingers.

“At any rate, I’m here…”

Flandre frowned at the wet sensation as she locked fingers with her; Mima held up her other hand as she continued on.

“...to answer the question you asked Cirno earlier this morning.”

“Hm… oh! About Reimu and Marisa changing, yes?” The blonde vampire began to swing their hands from side to side.

“That’s right. Both my daughter and niece are humans, and you met them just as they were starting to mature; that’s when one becomes an adult.”

“Hm…” The swinging slowed as Flandre thought about what she was being told; it was clear the words were striking a chord with old lessons. “That… sounds familiar.”

“Take your time.”

“Wait, no;” the vampire shook her head, “I thought you got boobs when you become an adult.”

“Y-you can, yes…” Mima blinked, blindsided by Flandre’s direction of thought, “but that… _varies,_ from person to person, race to race, and species to species. But we’re getting sidetracked here.”

“Now that I think about it, I think Remilia said we do the same thing, it just takes us a long longer than humans because…”

Other parts of her older lessons came back to her; Mima squeezed their hands tighter.

“W-wait… wait, she- she said their lifespans, compared to ours…” Flandre looked back up at the lich; Mima could see fear start to take root. “Don’t- don’t humans die really fast, though?”

“Not as fast as you think, but it is true they do not live as long as most youkai or devils.” Mima nodded. “That can-”

“But-!” A worried whine welled up inside as she shook their hands from side to side, unable to break free. “But I don’t want them to-!”

“Flandre. Please listen.”

The quiet sorrow in her voice gave the vampire pause.

"It aggravates me that the two people I care about the most in my life are mere mortals with an end. I hate it. But the choice to embrace or shed their mortality is a major, important choice. We may advise them, cajole them, and even beg them to make a specific decision, but we need to remember that it's_their choice_ whether or not they decide to remain that way. Not ours. _Never ours._"

Though her face was swollen with a mighty pout, Flandre remained silent.

"Marisa… will probably become a magician eventually. Maybe like Alice, maybe like me. Her candle won’t go out, not without a fight, anyway. But Reimu… I'd like to hope she'd become a hermit, so she might become a celestial one day, but she…" her voice trailed off before she sighed, unwilling to finish the sentence. “...but I won’t give you false hope.”

"...I still don't like it." The blonde vampire finally muttered. "But I _guess_ I can understand not taking away choices from people… I just-"

Flandre paused as she tried to pull her hand away, only to find it stuck fast to Mima's own. Giving her other hand an experimental tug, the vampire turned to the lich, seeking an explanation.

For the first time since their meeting, Mima looked away.

"What did you do?" She finally asked, pulling harder. Mima fought hard to keep an embarrassed grin off of her face.

"So, speaking of taking away choices from people…!" She started, her gravitas all but gone; Flandre shook their hands violently. "Someone _might_ have warned me about your tendency to destroy first, and ask questions later… and so I took a quick precaution. Permabond glue."

"Argh- even my fingertips are stuck! Mima…!"

"Look, we just need to wait for Patche to make her way down here and…"

She paused, thinking of the contents of her statement.

"... and… we'll be waiting quite awhile for that, don't we?"

"Oooh yeah." Meiling chimed in.

"Well." Flandre stated, her tone indignant. "I know _one_ way to pass the time."

Scowling at the lich, the vampire squeezed their hands tighter as the spell card field washed over the area. 

* * *

With the return of the gods and their shrine maiden, the late lunch planned by the human magician had turned into an early dinner at the shrine. After the meal, Reimu's small talk kept Marisa's attention occupied, allowing Shizuha and Minoriko to clean the table before the magician could sneak away with the task instead.

Within a matter of minutes, the room was empty once more, giving the two a measure of privacy.

"So." Reimu moved herself next to Marisa. "I did as you asked, and I've looked into Sister Byakuren."

"Al- alright…" she nodded, tapping her fingertips on the table. Despite the fact she had asked Reimu investigate weeks ago, she still felt a gnawing fear over finding out the results.

“Given the length of time since her banishment, I figured it would be difficult to find reliable sources of information, since most of those people would be from within her sect.” Turning her attention to the pipe sitting between them, the shrine maiden opened her pouch and began to load the glass piece. “So, I decided to talk to Shinki.”

The magician let out a laugh, her nervous energy fading. At the very least, Marisa knew she would have little reason to doubt an overgod’s words.

“She’s very powerful and quite charismatic, but it’s tempered by her compassion and wisdom. ‘Trustworthy’ was a term that was thrown around quite a bit. In fact, she was trusted enough to be allowed limited access to materials in her confinement, which is how she made her scroll and spell cards.”

“Arright…” Marisa could feel her grin pull at her cheeks as she accepted the pipe from her sister. “I mean, I- I guess it makes sense; I think that was part of the reason why she addressed Hijiri when we were leaving Makai; to let us know.”

“Indeed. ” Reimu nodded, taking the pipe back.” But as you can guess, I believe Sister Byakuren would be an excellent advisor for you. I can’t say for certain _how_ she’ll help you, but given that she was willing to turn to magic to solve her own problem tells me she’s one to consider multiple options.”

“Mm, so she probably won’t just tell me to pray to Buddha to get over this.”

Looking at the table, Marisa’s smile slowly faded as she thought about what Reimu had told her. The issue with her anger was something she both wished to solve and loathed to speak of to others.

“Would-” The magician cleared her throat as she tapped her fingers on the table again. “Would you be willing to come with me when I go to talk to her?”

Still holding her breath, Reimu shot her sister a smirk as she tilted her head, looking almost offended. Marisa began to laugh.

“Okay, okay… stupid question.” She slowly smiled as a wave of euphoria passed over her, keeping her insecurity from fully forming. “Thank you.”

“Honestly, Marisa! Here,” she placed the pipe back in her sister's hands, "have another hit, see if that clears up your doubt."

"Oh, I wouldn't say 'no' to that…!"

* * *

The door to the lich’s bedroom stuttered open as Mima stumbled out, drawn by the smell of food. Peering about through squinted eyes, she could determine it was early morning.

The fight with Flandre had not been the fiercest battle of her existence, but it certainly broke into the top ten of recent memory. Having some distance from the event, Mima realized the tiny vampire had likely learned her fighting from Remilia, Meiling, and Marisa - all opponents which gave no quarter in a match. She knew any future encounters would require more due diligence to prevent worse from happening, and perhaps more trust to prevent combat from occurring.

“My bones hurts.” The lich grumped as she made her way into the living room. “Sweetie, why do my bones hurt? I shouldn’t even _have_ those anymore…”

“I’m afraid I’m still uncertain as to what makes up your corporeal form, magister.” The puppeteer’s clear voice called back from the kitchen; Mima’s face sunk into her hands.

“Dammit, you’re not my daughter!”

“I am not!” Alice confirmed with a smile, carrying a plate in each hand; Shanghai trailed behind holding the drinks. “But I come bearing food all the same.”

The spectre sighed as she picked up her utensils, poking the food before digging in.

“So-”

“Seems like you had quite the adventure last night.”

The fork paused in Mima’s hand as she gave Alice a look; the puppeteer stared back with interest in her eyes, waiting to hear her story. Shaking her head with a sigh, Mima continued to eat.

“I underestimated Flandre… I should’ve known the reason Cirno has a problem with telling her things is because she’s _Cirno_.” She let out a growl before sighing. “At any rate, girl fights well without using her hands.”

“Seems like she’d have an advantage over you on that front.”

“Heh! Well, I certainly shocked her when I reformed my legs, that’s for sure. But enough of that - I’m going to have to tell Reimu what happened, and I’m not in the mood to repeat myself. So instead… let’s talk about you and Yukari.”

A broad smile covered the puppeteer's face; it was her turn to pause as she considered where to start.

"Well, I had invited her over for a fitting, but I think the main reason she came over was because she wanted to speak about a certain hidden passage to Old Hell in the Forest of Magic."

"Oh?"

"Yes... since it takes so long to use The Yawn, Satori and I found/excavated another path that shaves off an hour or two from the trip." Still grinning, Alice took a bite of her bacon. "And I might have been escorting Reimu and Satori back and forth between Chireiden and my house on multiple occasions..."

Mima let out a chuckle.

"I'm guessing she didn't like that, then."

"Not... really. But knowing Yukari as I do, I have a feeling she’s well aware that change on that front will be needed soon. I was able to convince her to talk about the laws concerning Old Hell a little more; at the very least, we’ve established a dialog about them.”

“Mm, better than what I probably would have accomplished with her.” Her plate cleared, Mima sat up and stretched. “So. Where’d the girls go?”

“Myouren Temple.” Alice collected their plates as she stood. “They left about a half hour before you woke up.”

“Hmph. Guess Reimu’s findings were positive.”

“Concerned?”

“Always, but that’s just paranoia.” Pulling her grimoire and quill from under the table, Mima searched for a page. “Unfortunately, Marisa can be the same; I’m worried she might react badly to the first time the monk stumbles, given what she’s having to trust her with.”

“Well, we can help her gauge any misdeeds which may occur.” With the table cleared, Alice sat back down. “But we’ll be there to support her if the worst happens.”

* * *

Entering the temple grounds, Marisa and Reimu hopped off the broom and walked towards the buildings. The magician was mildly surprised by the amount of activity for so early in the morning; near the entrance, she could see one of the new recruits sweeping while other acolytes concentrated on their own tasks, paying the two little heed. Off to the side, they could see Captain Murasa and the paladin turn their way and start to approach. Marisa brought her breathing and nerves under control while her sister stepped in front.

“Good morning Sister Kumoi, Captain Murasa!” Reimu beamed up at the two; Marisa could see the telltale signs of a hangover in Ichirin’s face. “How are you this morning?”

“Mm,” the nyuudou tamer gave a brief smile of a greeting, “just contemplating the meaning of suffering and how to overcome.”

Reimu held her chin for a moment as she thought.

“...have you tried a glass of water before bed?”

Pinching her temples, the paladin forced a grin.

“I’ll- I’ll give that a shot.”

“A couple less shots might not be a bad idea, either…” Murasa mumbled, looking away before her companion could lock eyes with her.

“Just ‘cause you lose every contest with me- ah.” Her hand shot out as the two visitors started to inch away. “Apologies, but what do we owe the pleasure this morning?”

“I have an appointment with Sister Byakuren.” Reimu continued to slide away.

“Ah. And Marisa-”

“Is accompanying me. Good day!” Giving the two a slight bow, Reimu placed her hand on Marisa’s back and pressed her along before the residents could object.

Hearing the footsteps come to a stop outside her room, Hijiri paused in her writing. The shuffling steps and quiet whispers told her there were at least two people; she knew one to be the shrine maiden, but the other remained hidden behind wards. Before she could wonder if she should investigate, the two finished their talk and knocked on the door.

“Sister Byakuren?” Reimu’s voice called.

“Enter.” She returned, rolling up the dried scroll. The door opened, revealing the shrine maiden and magician.

“Good morning.” Reimu gave a bow.

“Hey, Hijiri.” Marisa nodded. The priest smiled as she spotted the shrine maiden give her sister’s sleeve a light tug. “Sorry, Sister Hi- Sister?” The magician stopped in her tracks, suddenly unsure. “Magister? Shit-”

“I prefer ‘Sister’, despite technically being a fallen monk.” She assured her as she stood. “Of course, I will not deny that ‘Magister’ is also correct, if that makes you feel more comfortable. That said,” she placed a hand on Marisa’s shoulder, smiling warmly, “I know you aren’t much for titles, and the respect is evident enough in your voice. Be at ease, Marisa.”

“Th-thank you. So, um…” Hugging her arms together, she looked up at Hijiri. “You uh, know why I’m here, then?”

“I’m afraid not.” Her gaze moved to the shrine maiden. “When I asked Reimu why she wished me to set aside time this morning, she simply said it may be a matter of great import… or it may be for a morning stroll.”

“The decision to talk about this will always be yours.” Reimu whispered. “Even now, it’s not too late to change your mind if you wish.”

Nodding, Marisa took a deep breath.

“...I need help.” Her quiet voice cracked.

“Very well.” Closing the door, Hijiri touched the wall, activating the privacy wards in the room. She motioned to the table. “How may I help you, Marisa?”

Tapping her fingers in a rhythmic fashion, Marisa grit her teeth as she tried to choose her words. Having no luck, she looked up at Byakuren.

“How- you- you’ve been around me a number of times now.” She finally got out, working the shakes out of her voice. “How would you describe me, in one or two words?”

Hijiri stared at the magician across from her; eyes of molten gold stared back. One of her first memories of Marisa was one of combat, right after being freed from her imprisonment. The magician had been present during the conversion of the Palanquin Ship into the Myouren Temple as well, providing a great help with construction while her sister helped with organization and diplomatic duties.

It had not taken long for Hijiri to notice that Marisa played the role of Reimu’s Shadow, always present for moral support and defense, but rarely drawing attention to herself unless the situation warranted such a thing. What determined her intervention seemed to be a set of rules determined by Marisa herself, sometimes catching her sister off-guard when she stepped in. Marisa’s bared teeth and whispered words often caught her target by surprise as well, frightening a number of well-known youkai with whatever was uttered.

While Hijiri herself had yet to discover what the guidelines were, she could not deny their effectiveness at not only stopping immediate problems, but keeping other issues from cropping up for some time afterwards.

“...angry.” Hijiri answered; Marisa gave a quiet nod in response.

“That’s… what I need help with. Before it consumes me.”

Reaching across the table, she gave Marisa’s hand a squeeze. She could see the black-white magician calm visibly as she held onto her.

“Tell me what troubles you.”

Reimu scooted closer to her sister, placing her hand on top of the others. Marisa took a calming breath and nodded.

“I suppose I should start with how it all began… when I met Ma that Wintery night…”


End file.
